This is a discussion on "judgmental" and "closed minded" people within the Critical Thinking & Philosophy forums, part of the Topics of Interest category; I could totally be wrong. But my impression at the moment leads me to believe that when people say someone ...

"judgmental" and "closed minded" people

I could totally be wrong. But my impression at the moment leads me to believe that when people say someone is judgmental what they really mean is that they have reached a conclusion without sufficient evidence. But if a person is judgmental it isn't really bad. the only part that makes it bad is when they are not credible to make such judgments it seems.

Closed minded people seem to only be closed minded to those who feel their opinions or beliefs are not taken into consideration by these types of people. However, it seems that just because they are not taking into consideration the beliefs or opinions or perceptions you do does not make them closed minded but just not receptive to your perceptions or opinions at this point in time.

Just how things seem at the moment. But if I am right then it seems as if these terms which seem to be used a lot shouldn't be.

I could totally be wrong. But my impression at the moment leads me to believe that when people say someone is judgmental what they really mean is that they have reached a conclusion without sufficient evidence. But if a person is judgmental it isn't really bad. the only part that makes it bad is when they are not credible to make such judgments it seems.

Closed minded people seem to only be closed minded to those who feel their opinions or beliefs are not taken into consideration by these types of people. However, it seems that just because they are not taking into consideration the beliefs or opinions or perceptions you do does not make them closed minded but just not receptive to your perceptions or opinions at this point in time.

Just how things seem at the moment. But if I am right then it seems as if these terms which seem to be used a lot shouldn't be.

This is a thought-inspiring post. To label someone judgemental or closed-minded is generally seen as an insult but I think in some situations it illustrates an individual's own hypocrisy. If one person considers another to be judgemental because they reach a conclusion without sufficient evidence, the only evidence they have to justify such a comment is whatever provoked them to come out with it. When the whole of someone's personality is taken into consideration, one offhand remark isn't really sufficient evidence for them to accurately gauge the other person's character. It is judgemental, which makes the accuser just as bad as the offender by their own logic.

@Senter:
Even if there are people who over-use the terms judgmental and close-minded, and even if there are times when these terms are abused (for example as @Verdana10pt said, if the conclusion is based on a single offhand remark), I don't agree with your over-all conclusion.

Being close-minded and/or judgmental (they often go hand in hand) is objectively a Bad Thing (TM) in most situations where cooperation with other people is involved, and of course when an objective and logical conclusion is needed.

Being judgmental is bad, not because it means reaching a single conclusion without sufficient evidence, but because it means regularly drawing conclusions based on lacking evidence or interpersonal differences.

Your comment on being close-minded fails in all cases where it isn't an empty insult but an objective observation. If you disregard or actively avoid taking in facts that can change your world view, you are being close-minded in a way that will cause you to draw bad conclusions from the available facts, and likely will cause you to become judgmental towards other people.

Basically: You have to make a difference between disagreeing with a personal opinion of another person and disagreeing with or actively ignoring objective facts. The first doesn't necessarily make you a close-minded or judgmental person (the other person might be wrong, or you may disagree on a matter of taste), while the latter does (arguing against objective facts is a Quixotic battle).

There's a difference between drawing a conclusion from data vs cherry-picking data to support someone's initial conclusions. Usually "close-minded" refers to the latter.

I do think the term is thrown around a little too loosely, to mean, "Someone who disagrees with me." But that doesn't mean that close-mindedness does not exist. I've had far too many experiences with family where they either will refuse to discuss issues at all (due to not being open) and/or will instead try to push an agenda that disregards some of the information, without being willing to examine someone else's point in turn and understand it. I would call that close-minded.

I've wondered on this myself. I've been called judgmental at times, and I probably rather am. However, I don't see how people can't be judgmental? The moment you form beliefs and behave in certain ways, you will have judged the other behaviours options out there. I don't think that judgmentalism should carry the negative connotations that it carries.

As for close-mindedness, I don't know. I think this stems from being broadly intolerant and specifically tolerant. What I mean by this is that these people will define the "right" way by what it is not, rather than necessarily exploring what their path is. Whilst, I think that the slightly more judgmental (and in this category I include myself) are broadly tolerant and specifically intolerant. In that the validity of the other paths are not declared invalid, but rather specifically unpalatable; context dependent as an individual.

I think it's over-used and abused in many contexts, many times to me it always comes off as the never-ending back and forth playground battle of kids trying to justify themselves and top each other off by saying "You're a ninny! - No, YOU are! - Oh yeah? Well I say YOU are! - ME? You're the ninny! - Says who? - I say SO, so see? There!"

@Senter:
Even if there are people who over-use the terms judgmental and close-minded, and even if there are times when these terms are abused (for example as @Verdana10pt said, if the conclusion is based on a single offhand remark), I don't agree with your over-all conclusion.

Being close-minded and/or judgmental (they often go hand in hand) is objectively a Bad Thing (TM) in most situations where cooperation with other people is involved, and of course when an objective and logical conclusion is needed.

Being judgmental is bad, not because it means reaching a single conclusion without sufficient evidence, but because it means regularly drawing conclusions based on lacking evidence or interpersonal differences.

Your comment on being close-minded fails in all cases where it isn't an empty insult but an objective observation. If you disregard or actively avoid taking in facts that can change your world view, you are being close-minded in a way that will cause you to draw bad conclusions from the available facts, and likely will cause you to become judgmental towards other people.

Basically: You have to make a difference between disagreeing with a personal opinion of another person and disagreeing with or actively ignoring objective facts. The first doesn't necessarily make you a close-minded or judgmental person (the other person might be wrong, or you may disagree on a matter of taste), while the latter does (arguing against objective facts is a Quixotic battle).

No I agree with your statement that being judgmental is bad because it means regularly drawing conclusions based on lacking evidence or interpersonal differences. I didn't mean to say that it is just one single conclusion. I think what I was attempting to point out that it is not judgments in themselves that are the problem. It is assumptions with little evidence and that in itself seems to not lead to the term judgmental. Someone could make a lot of judgments that are NOT making assumptions with little evidence. To me judgmental seems like it should merely mean "making a lot of a judgments" and not necessarily a good or bad thing.

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